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A pile of Fluffy, soft dinner rolls with honey butter on top.
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Dinner Rolls (BEST Recipe!)

These light and fluffy Dinner Rolls will be the best you've ever tasted! They have a hint of sweetness and a soft, pillowy texture. The sweet and savory honey butter topping is the perfect finishing touch.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time21 minutes
Rising Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 56 minutes
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15 Rolls
Calories: 168kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm milk 110-115° F. Any fat content is fine.
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast or 1 packet. Instant yeast may also be used.
  • 2 tablespoons honey can sub sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature. Cut into 4 cubes
  • 3 ¼ cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour

Butter Topping

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon honey
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine the warm milk and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, it’s ready when you see foam on the top.
  • Stir in the remaining honey, cornstarch, salt, egg, butter, and 1/3 of the flour. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment. Add the remaining flour gradually, while mixing, for 30 seconds.
  • Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. If the dough is too sticky to work with, beat in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is workable. The dough should still be sticky, but manageable. *Don't use any more flour than needed to work the dough. (I usually add 5-6 tbsp.)
  • Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough in the bowl for 3 minutes.
  • Use a silicone spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl and transfer it to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover it with saran wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-2 hours. (The cooler it is, the longer it takes.)
  • Punch the dough down to release the air. Shape each into 15 tight, smooth balls of equal size. Place in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
  • Preheat oven to 375° F.
  • Bake for 18 minutes.
  • Combine the melted butter and honey. Remove the rolls from the oven and brush the tops with honey butter. Return to the oven and bake for 3-5 more minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Watch them carefully during this time.
  • Cool for a few minutes, then serve warm! (See notes for storage info!)

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Make Ahead Method- See blog post for 3 make-ahead options!
  • Stand Mixer- The dough can be mixed by hand with a wooden spoon if needed, note that it’ll take a bit of muscle.
  • Yeast- Make sure it’s not expired!
  • Flour-
    • Weigh the flour if at all possible to ensure that you add exactly the right amount.
    • Otherwise: Take a spoon and scoop it into the measuring cup as opposed to dipping the measuring cup into the flour. Use the knife to level off the top. This is important to have an accurate measurement.
  • Cornstarch- This is my secret ingredient! It creates extra soft, tender rolls with a light and fluffy crumb.
  • Egg Substitute
    • ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce, plain yogurt, or buttermilk can be used instead of an egg if needed.
    • I have (accidentally) omitted the egg in this recipe and they've still come out great! (The dough is also less sticky and easier to work with, without the need for additional flour.) -Though I do prefer the texture and taste with an egg.
  • Milk- The warm temperature of the milk is needed to activate the yeast. I microwave it in 30-second increments until it’s warm to the touch. A kitchen thermometer is also helpful to ensure accuracy. Note that if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
  • Shaping the Rolls:
    • Optional: Weigh the dough and divide that number by 15 to determine how much each one should weigh. -Eyeballing it is fine too! (My dough in this photo weighed 811 grams, or 54 grams pre roll.)
    • Avoid adding flour to your hands or to your work surface when shaping the rolls, this ensures the dough stays nice and tight. Pinch the dough into one central spot to create a tight ball and place them seam-side-down in the baking dish.
  • Leftovers- Leftover rolls make the BEST slider rolls! (Especially with holiday leftovers!)
  • 📘 Find this recipe on page 241 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. You can also freeze leftover rolls to enjoy another day.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per roll. There are 15 rolls in this recipe. The honey butter topping is included in the calculation.

Nutrition

Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 182IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg